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  Franz B. Pott was a Missoula Montana wig maker and fly tier/fly fisherman who started making woven hair flies near the start of the 20th century. For nearly fifty years his flies were the most popular and best selling flies in the state. His most popular fly was the Sandy Mite, followed closely behind by the Lady Mite. I don't have an example of the Lady Mite yet. I'm still looking. Franz Pott stubbornly stuck to his price for nearly a half a century: $0.35 each or three for a dollar1. In the early days this was a lot. Montana fly fishermen grumbled about the exorbitant price, but paid it anyway. Later on, when $0.35 each made them the cheapest flies you could buy, they gradually fell into disfavor. Perhaps they should have raised the price. Stuff that costs a lot seems to sell well these days.
Sandy Mite
Henry Wombacher and George Grant also used similar knotting techniques on their flies. I ran into an old timer at the High Bridge on the Beaverhead about 20 years ago. He was too old to wade very far, he told me, but he said he came to the various boat takouts 2-3 times a week and fished below the boats. He had a Perrine automatic reel, an old white 7-1/2 foot Shakespeare Wonderod and he fished a cast of three snelled woven hair flies. I watched him catch three nice fish, in the evening light, as we stood there talking about the good old days. I did notice liked to cast across and down, swinging the flies, usually letting line out as the flies swung.
Note this Green Rock Worm is similar to a fly Bob Jacklin used last year (2007) to catch a 10lb brown on the Madison. These are still good flies, even though the free market seems to say otherwise.

The complex knotting technique used here is too time consuming for me. So I'm working on an updated version--for lazy tiers like myself. Maybe I'll call it Sandy's Might.

1From George Grant's audio cassette tape: Franz Pott: A Matter of Loyalty

Sandy's Quick and Dirty Version of the Hair Hackle Wet Fly
  
 
Franz Pott

Fizzle-Yellow.jpgFranz Pott/

Pott-Letter-Page-Two.jpgA Letter/

Weaving Techniques

Badger PeacockBadger Peacock

Dina MiteDina Mite

Fizzle YellowFizzle Yellow

Franz Pott 1918Franz Pott 1918

Green Rock WormGreen Rock Worm

Patent DiagramPatent Diagram

Pott Hackle detailsPott Hackle details

Rock WormRock Worm

Royal CoachmanRoyal Coachman

Sandy MiteSandy Mite

Orange-Fizzle.jpgShadow Box Flies/
 Mike Wilkerson, who is a great guy and the last owner/operator of the Pott Fly Company, lent me most of these flies--and the (above) shadow box. Thank you Mike.

Al Campbell How to/
 Franz Pott used a simple loom-like device and a two-strand weaving technique. Here Al Campbell illustrates a similar but three-strand weaving technique.

Sandys Comments

Pott History
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